Steam generating



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. W. HICKS.

STEAM GENERATING APPLIANGB. No. 517,949. Patented Apr. 10, 1894;

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(No Model.) 2 Sheet-Sheet 2.

C. W'. HICKS. STEAM GENERATING APPLIANCE.

No. 517,949. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. HICKS, on ASHBURN, GEORGIA.

STEAM-GENERATING APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,949, dated. April10, 1894. g

I Application filed January 24, 1894. Serial No. 497,890. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. HIoKs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ashburn, in the county of'Worth and State ofGeorgia,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inSteam-Generating Appliances; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to those hollow-grate steam generating applianceswhich accelerate the generation ofstearn and at the same time induce acirculation of water through the boiler, and my object is to providemeans which will more perfectly accomplish such purposes. 1

To this end my invention consists in the employment of hollow-grate barsof peculiar construction, in combination with certain cooperatingmechanism all of which will be more fully described hereinafterand-pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, represents a sideelevation of a boiler and furnace having my improvements applied; Fig.2, a plan view of a grate and its connections; Fig. 3, a view incross-section of the grate, and Figs. 4 and 5, detail sectional views ofa modified form of the grate bar.

The reference letter A, indicates the boiler which is here shown as oneof the water tube type, though this may obviously be varied to suit theexigencies of the occasion. The boiler A, has arranged below it thefurnace A, and this may also be of any preferred form.

a is the fire box, and B is thegrate which is arranged therein so thatwhen the fire is built a draft space will be left below. The grate B iscomposed of a series of bars extending longitudinally with the boilerand separated from each other a distance great enough to admit of adraft between them. These bars are rectangular in cross-section and areformed hollow for the passage of the water. Arranged in each end of thebars B and communicating with the hollow portion thereof, are theindependent downwardly extending tubular elbows B, and these elbows areprovided at their outer ends with flanges b, the said flanged ends beingadapted to engage with the corresponding ends of the neighboring elbows,and to be joined by bolts or rivets passing through the flanges suitableasbestus packing being interposed to effect a tight joint. The elbows Bare so arranged that each of the bars B, will be connected serially toeach other, whereby a stream of water may pass from the end of one barthrough all the'ot-hers and out atthe end of the opposite bar, thusestablishing the circulation through the grate and whereby the bars arepermitted to expand and contract laterally 'and longitudinally at theirends without springing a leak or causing injury to the connections. I

In some cases where saw-dust and other dense combustibles are used asfuel, it will be necessary to provide more draft than can be had fromthe spaces between the bars B, and to this end I core the barstransversely. This is done by extending vertically through the bars,short sections of tubing, 0, so as to form draft passages through thegrate. By multiplying these passages avery strong draft may be obtainedwithout materially retarding the circulation of the water through thebars.

Communicating with the upper portion of the boiler is a steam pipe 0provided with a valve N, and which extends downwardly to the injector c.This injector is in connection with a downwardly extending tube D, andthis tube after projecting below the grate bends horizontally andupwardly and communicates with the bar B which is located on theleft-hand extremity of the grate. By this means water is conductedfromthe injector to the grate, and the injector c is used to feed the boilerby way of the grate, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Secured to the end of the elbow B on the extreme right-hand grate bar isthe tube (1, which projects downwardly until the mud drum E is reachedwith which drum it makes connection. Fitted to the drum E and havingcommunication therewith is the second tube E, which extends upwardly andthence outwardly to the outside of the furnace, where it proceedsupwardly again and communicateswith the lower portion of the boiler A.

e indicates a check valve which is arranged in the tube E at a pointnear the boiler, and by which the passage of the water through the tube,and into the boiler may be regulated.

Entering one end of the mud drum E at its lower side is the blow-offpipe E, which is provided with the usual valve F, by which the fiow maybe checked. The purpose of this blow-0E arrangement is well understoodsince its use in steam generating is common. It will be necessary, attimes, to clean the grate bar so that the accumulations of sediment andother objectionable matter may be removed. This I attain by means of theblowoft pipe f, which is provided with a valve f, for regulating theflow of water in the bars.

It will be necessary to provide, in addition to the check valve e, asecond valve G, and this I arrange in the pipe D just below the injectoro. By the use of these two valves the circulation through the system ismore efiectually stopped, and the strain occasioned by the pressure ofwater is equally distributed between each.

The modification of Figs. 3 and 4 consists of a form of grate bar,wherein each bar is provided with two independent longitudinal passagesfor the circulation of the water, and these passages communicate witheach other at the end H, while the remaining end H, is open and adaptedto communicate, by way of the elbows h, with the corresponding end ofthe companion bar. These bars are not perforated or cored transverselybut are adapted to be arranged such a distance apart that the desireddraft may be attained. As another modification I sometimes take thewater from the mud drum up to the boiler through a pipe such as H, inFig. 4. Thus it will be seen that the water from the boilerA, is keptcirculating through the grate B and mud drum E, and, owing to this fact,the heating of the water in the boiler is greatly facilitated while thesediment and other objectionable matter that will reside in the water iscollected by the drum E, from hence it may be removed by the pipe F.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam generating and circulating apparatus, the combination witha boiler, of a hollow grate, a pipe connecting the boiler and grate, aninjector connected to said pipe and by which the primary circulation ofwater therein is started, a mud drum in connection with the hollow grateand a second pipe communicating with the boiler and with the mud drum,whereby the water from the boiler is made to circulate through the grateand mud drum and whereby its heating is expedited and its sedimentremoved, substantially as described.

2. In a steam generating grate of the class described, the combinationwith perforated hollow grate-bars, of flanged coupling pipes alternatelylocated at opposite ends of said bars, and extending below the same, theflange being provided with perforations and fasteners, whereby suitablepacking material can be interposed between them, and whereby the barscan be disconnected separately, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a steam generating apparatus, a hollow grate composed ofrectangular hollow bars provided with a plurality of draft openlngstherein, coupling pipes located at and connecting the alternate ends ofsaid bars, said pipes being arranged to extend below the bars and beingprovided with perforated flanges and fasteners adapted to enter saidperforations to lock the flanges together, receiving and discharge pipesconnecting the opposite extremities of said grate with the boiler, a muddrum interposed within the circulation of said pipes, and an injectorand blow-ott pipe, all arranged and adapted to operate in the manner andfor the purpose substantially as described.

4. The herein described grate having receiving and discharging pipesconnected at opposite ends thereof, said grate being composedofperforated rectangular hollow bars, in combination with coupling pipeslocated alternately at the opposite ends of the bars and provided withflanges adapted to be placed face to faceand to have suitable packingmaterial interposed between them, and devices for clamping said flangestogether, whereby the grate-bars are permitted to expand and contract,and can be removed, in the manner and for the purpose substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination with a boiler, of a water grate composed of a seriesof hollow rectangular bars provided with a plurality of perforations ordraft openings, flanged coupling pipes connecting the alternate ends ofsaid bars to effect a zigzag passage through the grate, receiving anddischarge pipes con-necting the opposite ends of said grates with theboiler at a point below the water line, a mud drum included within thewater circuit, a blow-oft valve and an injector, substantially asdescribed.

6. A water grate composed of a series of hollow grate bars connectedalternately at their opposite ends by means of independent flanged pipesor elbows such as B whereby the bars are allowed to contract and expand,in combination wit-h a boiler and pipes connected to maintain acirculation in the boiler and grate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. HICKS.

Witnesses:

J. S. BETTS, Z. BASS.

